Serum zinc level during and after acute painful episodes in children with sickle cell anemia at the aminu kano teaching hospital, Kano, Northern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Acute painful crisis due to vaso-occlusive event is the leading cause of hospitalization in patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA). Zinc deficiency in children with SCA is associated with increased frequency and severity of acute painful events. We determined serum zinc level in children with SCA during acute painful crisis and compared the same with children with SCA who are in steady state and healthy non-sickle cell disease children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a descriptive longitudinal study, involving children with SCA age 6 months to 15 years at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Northern Nigeria. Subjects were recruited into three groups, which consisted of SCA in acute painful crisis, SCA in steady state, and normal subjects with hemoglobin AA (HbAA). A total of 210 subjects were recruited, 70 subjects each for SCA in acute painful crisis, SCA in steady state, and HbAA groups, respectively. Serum zinc was analyzed with atomic absorption spectrophotometery. Serum zinc levels were repeated in children with SCA and acute painful crisis 4 weeks after resolution of painful events. RESULTS: The mean serum zinc level of SCA with acute painful crisis was higher than SCA in steady state, but the difference was not statistically significant (24.4 [11.0] and 23.4 [7.4]) µg/dL, respectively (t = 16.04, P = 0.54). While the HbAA control had significantly higher mean serum zinc level than SCA groups, both in acute painful and in steady state (F = 59.3, P = 0.001). Among children with SCA and acute painful crisis, repeat serum zinc level 4 weeks after resolution of acute painful events was significantly higher than during pain crisis (t = 64, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Zinc deficiency occurs in children with SCA and the deficiency is worsened by acute painful events Therefore, it is recommended that zinc level should be assessed and any deficiency treated. Supplementation of zinc should also be enhanced as this may reduce painful crisis in SCA.

[PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF DRUGS OF PLANT ORIGION IN ACUTE EMOTIONAL AND PAINFUL STRESS IN RATS].

The aim of the investigation was to study the protective properties of the herbal preparation - biotrite and tranquilizer diazepam under the modeling of emotional and painful stress in rats. Materials and methods. The experiment was conducted on 24 white male rats of 5 months of age. Animals (6 rats in the group) were kept on the standard diet of the vivarium: 1st group was intact; rats of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th groups were reproduced acute painful emotional stress for 3 hours. 60 minutes before the stress, rats received per os: the 2nd group - water, the 3rd group - diazepam in a dose of 1.25 mg / kg body weight of rats; 4th group - a preparation of biotrite in a dose of 50 mg / kg. Results and conclusion. The conducted studies demonstrated significant adaptive properties of the biotrite preparation, and the degree of their manifestations was higher than the stress-protective effects of diazepam.